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LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne was impressed by her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes' latest start against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
The reigning NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young finalist pitched seven shutout innings, allowing only three hits, no walks and six strikeouts, as he helped the Pirates land a 4-2 win, only their second win of the season.
Dunne posted a three-word message on social media, hailing her boyfriend after his latest quality start.
"On that note," she wrote in the caption of her story on Instagram.
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For the Pirates, Oneil Cruz drove in two runs, including a home run, along with Adam Frazier and Endy Rodriguez who contributed an RBI each in the win. Meanwhile, for the Rays, Jonny DeLuca and Brandon Lowe drove in a run each in the loss.
Olivia Dunne reveals her happiness at Paul Skenes' swift journey through minors
After leading the LSU Tigers to win the College World Series in 2023, Paul Skenes was drafted No. 1 overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates the same year. The right-hander made his professional debut on Aug. 10, 2023, for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Pirates.
Five days later, Skenes was soon transferred to the Single-A Bradenton Marauders and another promotion followed six days later to the Double-A Altoona Curve.
In 2024, Skenes started in minors playing for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, where he showed his excellent stuff, thereby earning a call-up by the Pirates in May. After his debut against the Chicago Cubs, there was no looking back as he made his name by earning the right to start the All-Star game despite being a rookie.
Talking about Skenes' swift journey to majors, Dunne said via GQ.com:
“I’m actually very happy he flew through the minor leagues. Because some of those places were brutal.”
Dunne and her “English cream” golden retriever named Roux have made a habit of watching Skenes' games on their MLB app. They rarely miss watching him if he's home, pitching at PNC Park, where Dunne makes sure to be in attendance to show her support.
